Book lovers scoop up bargains at Tufts Library paperback sale in Weymouth

Thursday

Jul 10, 2014 at 12:53 AMJul 10, 2014 at 5:19 AM

Thousands of books were a bargain hunter's delight Wednesday at the Tufts Library's annual paperback book sale in Weymouth. Geri Duff of Hingham scooped up “Aunt Sammy's Radio Recipes, a Depression era cookbook” and 19 others.

Sue Scheible The Patriot Ledger @sues_ledger

WEYMOUTH – They came early and left loaded – their bags filled with paperbacks.

“When I saw Weymouth advertise this book sale to support the library, I thought, ‘This is great! There are books I haven’t read yet,’“ Geri Duff of Hingham said on her way out Wednesday. “It’s heaven.”

Duff, the wife of Hingham Fire Chief Mark Duff, brought her wish list of books with her to the annual paperback book sale at the Tufts Library. She was also on the lookout for World War II adventures and biographies for husband. Her finds: a cookbook, “Aunt Sammy’s Radio Recipes: The Great Depression Cookbook,” as well as novels by Nora Roberts. When she left an hour later, she had 20 books in two bags and had paid $5.

Duff is a longtime book lover who reads a book a day – at about 100 pages an hour – and uses a Kindle e-book to read genealogy. She does use a computer to go online and reserve books. Her husband calls her a bibliophile.

Their three grown children, Kelley, Tracy and John, who all work in technology-related jobs, also are readers. When they were little, Geri Duff said, she read to them every night – “a nice, close time to cuddle.”

The annual paperback sale, which ran from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., had a steady stream of customers throughout the day – from seniors to boomers to young mothers with children.

“I’m getting my summer reading,” one older gentleman said.

The books, donated by the public to the library, cost anywhere from 25 cents to $1 for paperbacks, 10 to 25 cents for children’s books, $2 for a quality hardcover, and $2 for DVDs and CD audio books.

The Friends of Weymouth Libraries, the group that sponsored the event, runs six book sales throughout the year. There is another paperback sale in February, and the biggest-bargain sale is held in September.

Mary Quinton, president of the Friends, said, “The sales always gets a good turnout; our sales are the cheapest.”

Quinton was especially proud of the fact that the proceeds from the library book sales are put toward museum passes, children’s programs and general library needs.

“We support what is not in the town budget – the extras,” she said.

For information about the Friends or other book sales, call the library at 781-337-1402.

Donations of books and other audio-visual materials can be made to the library at any time of year. The Friends meet from 9 to 11 a.m. every Wednesday at the Tufts Library.

Sue Scheible may be reached at sscheible @ledger.com. Follow her on Twitter@SueS_Ledger.